1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to plural contact member, electrical connectors having their contact members so arranged as to facilitate interconnection with a plurality of substantilly flat, electrical conductors in a flat flexible cable, as well as to methods of forming such electrical connectors, and to combined, interconnected, electrical connector and flat flexible cable structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Plural contact member, electrical connectors are well known. These connectors frequently utilize insulation-piercing contact members which include generally U-shaped channel portions for receiving and retaining insulated, round wire conductors, one in the generally U-shaped channel portion of each contact member. Such contact members have facilities in their generally U-shaped channel portions for piercing the insulation on each of the wires so as to make electrical contact therewith. Some examples of plural contact member, electrical connectors with insulation-piercing facilities are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,867,005 to P. P. Hoppe, Jr. and 4,050,760 to L. S. Cohen. Alternatively, such connectors may dispense with the insulation-piercing facilities and instead employ the generally U-shaped channel portions of their contact members as solder cups for receiving, and solder-retaining therein, insulation-free portions of the round wire conductors. Some examples of plural contact member, electrical connectors having contact members with generally U-shaped channel portions which serve as solder cups are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,002,176 to R. S. Yopp, and in two brochures, designated TP-1, and RR-2, prepared by the Amphenol Industrial Division of The Bunker-Ramo Corporation, Chicago, Ill.
A typical variety of prior art, plural contact member, electrical connector includes a housing, composed of a dielectric material, with a plurality of elongated recesses therein. Each contact member is disposed within a different, associated one of the recesses in the housing, with a substantially flat base of the generally U-shaped channel portion of the contact member, which joins two upstanding side walls of the generally U-shaped channel portion of the contact member, disposed extending inwardmost into the interior of the associated recess. Such contact member orientation is necessary in order to mount the contact member within the recess with the generally U-shaped channel portion of the contact member opening outwardly toward the exterior of the recess, so that a round wire conductor may thereafter be inserted into the open, generally U-shaped channel portion of the contact member, and either be received and retained by insulation-piercing facilities therein, or be retained in place by soldering.
Each contact member of a typical prior art, plural contact member, electrical connector also includes a curving contact element which extends principally axially away from the generally U-shaped channel portion along a major axis of the generally U-shaped channel portion. Two different general types of such contact members, the contact elements of which curve in different directions relative to the generally U-shaped channel portions, have most commonly been employed. A first type of contact member has been used for forming a male connector structure by the positioning of a plurality of such contact members, each within a different, associated recess in the connector housing with the previously described contact member orientation. This first type of contact member is characterized by a contact element which defines a curve with a major portion which is predominately convex in that direction along which the side walls of the generally U-shaped channel portion extend from the base of the generally U-shaped channel portion. A second type of contact member has been used for forming a female connector structure by the positioning of a plurality of such contact members, each within a different, associated recess in the connector housing with the previously described contact member orientation. This second type of contact member is characterized by a contact element which defines a curve with a major portion which is predominately concave along that direction in which the side walls of the generally U-shaped channel portion extend from the base of the generally U-shaped channel portion.
Prior art, plural contact member, electrical connectors of the previously described types are well suited for interconnection with a plurality of insulated, round wire conductors, since the individual wires may each readily be inserted into the U-shaped channel portion of a different contact member, and may thereupon be retained by any insulation-piercing facilities, or may thereupon be soldered in place, within the U-shaped channel portion. Such prior art connectors are, however, ill equiped to be interconnected to certain types of flat flexible cables which include substantially flat conductors, rather than round wires. Accordingly, it is evident that altered connector structures and connector forming methods are necessary where interconnection is desired between plural contact member, electrical connectors generally of the previously described, prior art types, and various flat flexible cables. Moreover, it would be most convenient if currently existing parts, such as the two, previously described, general types of contact members, could be included in the altered connector structures with little or no change in the configurations of the existing parts so included.